How to Hang Vegetable Plants

Report This Article

How to Hang Vegetable Plants

Overview

Hanging plants such as flowers or vegetables in containers is an ideal way to improve the space and productivity of your garden, since you don't necessarily need to take up land. You can hang up vegetable plants anywhere in containers, whether it's a patio, balcony or windowsill. While containers may not produce as much as larger vegetable varieties, the harvest will still be satisfying and it will provide an element of natural beauty to your home.

Step 1

Pick hanging baskets that suitable for planting vegetables. You can find an array of these at local gardening, home or hardware stores. The designs range from practical to whimsical. If there aren't any already, drill four to five 1/2 inch holes in the bottom of the planter.

Step 2

Fill the basket with soilless potting mixture, up to within three inches of the rim. Soak this mixture with water until it is dripping from the drainage holes. This will ensure that it moist enough to plant the vegetables in as a transplant.

Step 3

Plant the vegetable into the basket at the same depth it was in the first pot. Ideally, it should be a young transplant. Keep the basket outside or over a sink, and water it slowly and thoroughly until water starts to drip out of the drainage holes again.

Step 4

Sprinkle good quality potting soil on top of the soilless mixture, and pat it lightly over the vegetable plant's base and roots.

Step 5

Hang the vegetable plant basket in a place that gets at least six to eight hours of sunshine per day. Most commonly, hanging baskets are secured by a hook drilled into a beam on the outside of the house. Use the drill to create a hole that is slightly smaller then the hanging hook you are going to use. Use your hands to twist the hook into the hole all the way, and make sure it is secure by giving it a little tug.

Step 6

Hold the bottom of the basket with one hand, and carefully loop the basket hanger over the hook with the other hand. Carefully let go of the basket to make sure it holds up with just the hook.

Step 7

Check the soil daily. When it feels dry, water it until it drips through the drainage holes. Depending on the vegetable plant in the basket, it may need watering daily since hanging baskets dry out more quickly then regular planters.

Step 8

Fertilize the vegetable plant every two weeks with a liquid fertilizer formulated for vegetable, then water right after in order to disperse it evenly.

Things You'll Need

Basket

Drill

Potting mix

Transplants

Hook

Fertilizer

References

About this Author

Lauren Wise is a journalism major from Arizona State University with over forty published magazine and media articles and over 400 Web site articles. Wise owns Midnight Publishing with over eight years experience as a writer, editor, copywriter and columnist. She specializes in food and wine, music and pop culture. Her writing has appeared in magazines including Runway, A2Z, Scottsdale Luxury Living and True West.